


fortunate, favored

by alsahm



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Chinese New Year, F/M, M/M, Mild Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-26
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:34:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22413316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alsahm/pseuds/alsahm
Summary: "I will kill you," says Felix."Xiăo Māomī," Glenn chastises, nudging Felix in the side, hard. "That's not a very good start to the new year."Meanwhile Dimitri is still outside the door, unfairly handsome and so goddamn nervous.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Felix Hugo Fraldarius, Glenn Fraldarius/Ingrid Brandl Galatea
Comments: 52
Kudos: 347





	fortunate, favored

**Author's Note:**

  * For [unsungillumination](https://archiveofourown.org/users/unsungillumination/gifts).



> this is for rook who basically wrote 50% of it and directed me culturally but refused to collab. but it's okay because i love rook anyway!
> 
> did you know that felix hugo fraldarius is asian? because he's asian.

"I will fucking kill you," says Felix.

"Xiăo Māomī," Glenn chastises, nudging Felix in the side, hard. "That's not a very good start to the new year."

Felix grinds his teeth, swallowing the bile for forced holiday politeness. He settles on, "Sleep with a knife."

Meanwhile Dimitri is still outside the door, dressed in an unfairly handsome black suit-vest on a red shirt Felix has never before seen on him, and carrying a silver tin from Dedue's bakery. Dedue must have helped dress him; Ingrid would have known better than to go this fancy. 

He looks so goddamn nervous. "Um. May I come in?" 

Glenn, the asshole who took the liberty of inviting Felix's boyfriend to this family nightmare after Felix himself refused, laughs, says to Felix, "I always do," and ushers Dimitri inside like a lamb to slaughter. 

Introductions are done in Chinese: Dimitri has met their mother and father and Ingrid, but Grandmother, their aunt and uncle, and their cousin and wife with baby are all new people, so Glenn swiftly explains the presence of this white boy in their home on New Year's Eve. 

Grandmother squints at Dimitri, then at Ingrid, and in her white face-blindness asks if they are siblings.

"No, Nǎinai."

"And how is he educated?"

"Well, Nǎinai."

Her line of questioning only ceases at Rodrigue's intercession, when he pats his hands clean and shakes Dimitri's hand the way he once did his father's. "This is Lambert's son," he explains, and instantly charmed she gasps and smiles and beckons Dimitri over to kiss his forehead and welcome him warmly to her home. Emphasis her.

Bewildered, Dimitri follows all directions. "It is a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

A chorus of sighing at his politeness; Felix sneers when his cousin stage-whispers, "Māomī could learn from him!"

"I'm sure he'll rub off on him," Glenn agrees, and with introductions over, moves his things to Ingrid's other side at the table. It allows Dimitri to sit least awkwardly between her and Felix, with the unfortunate bonus that Felix's legs can't reach to kick Glenn under the table.

The family resumes their work on the dumplings. Felix's will no longer have the distinction of being the shittiest; Ingrid and Glenn explain the process to Dimitri together—exactly as they will to the future children the family was discussing prior to Dimitri's arrival—but his hands are too strong for the job and he keeps ripping the dough. It doesn't help his nervousness that everyone else is chatting merrily in Chinese while pointing glances his way.

"You missed lunch," says Felix.

"I apologize. There was… unexpected trouble. But it's alright, I don't have that strong an appetite." He tries to pinch another dumpling together, then watches its misshapen form fall sadly apart. "Felix. Help."

"Just put the filling in," Felix says, offering his empty wrapper. He's so mad at his entire family for their continued rudeness. "I'll fold."

"Okay," says Dimitri, and sets to the task so attentively that no dumpling of theirs is allowed more or less filling than the next. Shittiest visuals or not, at least their teamwork proves egalitarian. It's more than can be said of Ingrid, who serially overstuffs her dumplings, corrects herself when recalibrated by her fiancé, then fucks up the ratio slightly more each passing minute.

Of course once noticed this brings the table to open commentary about what a good partnership theirs is and how ripe the time is for marriage and what strong, polite young men Dimitri might raise. Felix's aunt and uncle take great joy in probing them about their future plans, which Felix has barely discussed with Dimitri, nevermind his brother or his parents or _other family members he sees once or twice a year_. 

Meanwhile Glenn and Ingrid enjoy the change of spotlight: come time to eat, no longer faced by the typical scrutiny at their own lack of knot-tying and loinfruit, they seem to be playing a game of who-can-fit-more-dumplings-in-their-mouth-at-once.

So _this_ was Glenn's plan.

There will be revenge. But Ingrid is happy and more importantly winning, so Felix supposes he can allow it for now.

Later they shift into the family room. Felix's aunt and uncle have prepared a slideshow from their recent visit to China and beyond, and everyone is compelled to watch. While they set up, Felix's uncle approaches Rodrigue, and smilingly advises, "You should take Māomī home sometime. It'd do him good."

Rodrigue answers neatly, "This is home," and Felix figures it is safe to tune out. 

He sits next to Dimitri on the sofa, considering his gray hoodie with cat ears and red sweats next to Dimitri's smart shirt, suit-vest, and slacks. 

Dimitri says, "May I ask something, Felix?"

"Yeah?"

"Forgive me if this is ignorant. What is it everyone is calling you? Is that your Chinese name?"

Felix blinks. He doesn't have a Chinese name; there's nothing Chinese about _Felix Hugo Fraldarius_. "What are you talking about?"

"He means Māomī." Glenn has appeared again to be fucking intolerable. The slideshow is ready so Ingrid and the others have moved on to angling chairs. "It's Felix's nickname."

"I see!" Dimitri brightens; Glenn has offered gold. "As far as I knew, Felix didn't have one."

Glenn leaps over the couch to sit between them, ever ready to exercise his rights as embarrassing elder brother and spout endless fucking family lore. Felix stands before Glenn can pull him closer, shoves Glenn away from Dimitri, and repossess his original seat pressed more firmly into his boyfriend. 

Glenn continues nonetheless. "I used to call him Lixie, but Nǎinai has trouble saying it. She didn't like Fe, and by then he'd grown enough for us to see he's literally just a fucking cat in a human body, meowbe you've noticed? So! Māomī."

"Xiăo Māomī," choruses someone else with mirth. 

Felix is the youngest cousin, and realizes now that is why he's never had to be embarrassed about this before: it was never actively _explained_ to anyone _in front of him_. The conversation has long since tumbled out of control, but he pulls at Glenn's sleeve anyway with grit teeth and vague hope. "Gēge."

Unfortunately Dimitri has caught on. He plays with Felix's stupid hood, still glowing. "How on point… Am I correct in assuming it means—?"

"Kitty," confirms Glenn with a wink. "Small kitty Felix. Look out, Mitya, he'll scratch."

Dimitri's chest rumbles with his laughter. "Of that," he says, "I'm aware."

A pause. 

Felix: "Fucking saints."

Dimitri: "Um, that is to say, it is a fitting nickname—"

Glenn: "Wow so I don't particularly want to hear about my little brother's, uh, habits—"

Dimitri: "Saints, I wasn't—"

"So _Gēge_ ," says Felix, loud enough for the rest of the party to hear. "What _is_ the point of being engaged so long? When are you getting married and popping out the cute little nieces and nephews I was promised."

Glenn's eyes are fire. His lips curve up over ground teeth. He grips Felix's arm, pulls him into a hug, and twists. "Little brother. Sweet Kitty. So fucking kind of you to ask."

"Let _go_ ," Felix hisses, the rugburn only worsening from his struggle.

Too late to take it back, anyway. The status of Ingrid's biological clock, a favorite family conversation, has resumed, with much giggling and advice on her hypothetical pregnancy from new and old mothers. Ingrid, who has long since given up on feminizing her future in-laws, smiles as good-naturedly as she can. Her left hand presents Felix the finger.

"You know what," says Glenn, hopping to his feet, cheery demeanor back in place if plastic. "This is actually perfect. I think we'll get to work on that right now." And rescues his fiancée, walks her past Felix to land a good kick, and disappears into the kitchen to devour all the snacks. 

"Fuck," says Felix, massaging his wrist. He's already mourning the crackling.

Dimitri tries to hide his soft laughter. He's bad at it.

"Shut up."

"Come now, Felix. That was uncalled for. Shall we apologize?"

"I'll kill him."

"He'll kill you," corrects Dimitri, still unable to hide his good humor. Then he tries, "Maomi," and it's hard for his tongue to hold but _dammit_ why's Felix so warm about it. "Was that right?"

"Boarish," he mutters. He is not training his boyfriend in his childhood nickname. But he peels himself off the couch and traces after his brother. 

True to Felix's suspicions the petty pair of them has done off with the crackling. When they see Felix Ingrid blows him a crumby raspberry and Glenn indulges in two fingers up.

To Ingrid: "Whatever." To Glenn: "You're the worst."

"You," says Ingrid, "are _such_ a child." 

"Save the lecture. You were just collateral damage."

"Watch it, shithead," says Glenn, and Felix ducks from another assault and scowls, twisting to put Glenn in a headlock. Glenn dodges with ease and traps him instead. Siblingless Dimitri watches with both alarm and interest despite Ingrid's confirmation that this is normal.

"Such poor reflexes from Kitty."

"Die," says Felix. To Ingrid: "Sorry. Ingrid."

"Was that so fucking hard?" Glenn pats him on the back and the tension diffuses.

A cheer from the family room summons them back for the slideshow. Dimitri seems to have befriended the first spot he took on the couch, so Felix follows and nestles back into him. Most of the pictures are of more interest to Dimitri than to Felix, anyway; neither of them recognize the people at whose growth Felix's mother smiles, but the tourist traps are new to him. Felix only hums to any familiar music and, warm and less bitter with his eyes closed, drifts into the state between wakefulness and dreams.

What feels like a minute later he's rudely shaken awake by his cousin. Having shoved his baby into Felix's mother's arms, he wields the mad look of a new father lacking the appropriate amount of contact with anyone near his age and shoves a controller into Felix's hands. It appears tech support has plugged in video games.

Glenn and Ingrid show no mercy. Felix and Dimitri are consistently awarded last place in every game they play. This situation repeats itself for an hour until their cousin, despite only middle defeat, gently places his controller in its cradle and retreats to the bathroom to scream.

Felix doesn't blame him. If it weren't for Dimitri being shit and his being the night's favorite target, he'd be fucking mad, too. 

Their sister-in-law is sent in for damage control, and Ingrid shuts off the TV.

Felix drops his controller on the floor, repositioning himself with legs stretched on the couch and his head in Dimitri's lap. In the comfortable lull he considers another nap there, only then Ingrid announces her departure as she has an exam tomorrow and can't afford to stay. The party is obliged to wish her luck; their mother stuffs her hands with more food and an early red envelope; and Glenn offers his arm to walk her to her car, "should the lady so like."

The "lady" does. Glenn helps her into her coat and wrenches open the door with a conspiratorial grin. It brings new energy to the room: their aunt remembers suddenly that she brought her cupping set from her last trip to China and ushers Grandmother away to try it. Glenn returns to present their father and uncle with a deck of cards and a challenging look, and the three of them engage in a death match, the elder generation flushing and worse at poker faces than they think. Felix's mother has set out the drinks and then resettled in Grandmother's armchair, still cooing at the baby, whose mother and father have asked to be excused to the guest room and are presumably taking a nap until midnight.

Dimitri shifts. "Should I get going, too?"

Felix's noise of protest belongs to no language he recognizes. Now that he's here, he doesn't want Dimitri to go.

Dimitri looks down at his lap. "Hm?"

"Ingrid's only leaving for her stupid Sunday exam. It's New Year's, you can't leave before midnight." He pauses, weighs his options, decides, "Want to see my old room."

"Is that okay?"

"Stop asking that," says Felix, and detangles himself to lead the way. He needs space and to hear less Chinese and a stress reliever, the latter two for which Dimitri comes equipped. 

The door to Felix's room is ajar, which on principle makes him angry, but upon stalking and scrutinizing he discovers a neat pile of Glenn's clothing for Dimitri to change into come midnight. Before Felix can consider why Glenn is so fucking intolerable, he must reconsider the invitation he just extended; Felix spent most of high school in Glenn's old room because the space was larger, and it eroded the memory of his own room, which is _so much more embarrassing than he remembers_.

Why did his parents let him do this. Why didn't they _get rid of it._

"Oh," says Dimitri. He's caught up and smirking, the teasing look and huskiness that arise when he's being evil. "Pardon me. I did not realize I was dating royalty."

"Shut up," snaps Felix, and tosses his stupid brother's clothes at his stupid boyfriend in his stupid childhood bedroom with his stupid castle bed. It has stairs to the twin-sized mattress cradled closer to the ceiling than the floor, flanked by parapeted towers; two display cases where Felix kept a dagger Glenn got him from a trip to Brigid, and a shield from a museum; and for some reason a jailhouse, to which Felix often banished his ill-behaved cat, only for her to slip through the bars. 

Dimitri is tall enough to reach the towers. He knocks at the feeble wood, then announces, "I adore this. Prince Felix."

"Sir Fraldarius," mutters Felix, in the interest of accuracy. "Shut up and help me destroy it."

"Is that why you brought me here? As you wish." Still indulging in that awful fucking smirk. The surreality of it in his old home, especially after the perfectly nervous gentleman Dimitri was earlier today, makes Felix feel at once both too small and too large for the situation. But Dimitri draws near and Felix forgets what his response is meant to be, only to recall with alarm not his cue but that the doors in this house _don't fucking lock_.

"Wait." He scans the room for a potential barricade; as a teenager he used the desk chair, but with Dimitri's brute strength they can spring for something better. He settles on the bookshelf. "Help me with this. There's no lock on the door."

Dimitri obliges. Then, spotting a box on the bottom shelf, Felix recalls their second problem. "I… might have some condoms and shit. But they're probably expired."

"I brought… materials," says Dimitri, and sets them dutifully on Felix's desk. That Dimitri had the pre-inclination that this would happen today says more about Felix than it does Dimitri, and he feels his face grow warm.

"Why—Where—Never mind, it doesn't matter." He allows himself to draw close and finger the soft fabric of the vest. He's been wanting to get rid of it all day. "It's a miracle you didn't get food on this."

"I can't," admits Dimitri. "It'll stain. Do take care."

Felix releases it. Clenches and unclenches his fist. Sighs, retrieves a fucking hanger, then takes to removing it carefully to hang and keep wrinkle and stainfree. Decides now would be a good time to inspect Glenn's loan, which turns out to be a bright red hoodie cheerfully announcing Glenn's volunteer firemanship (too big for Glenn, but will likely press tight on Dimitri's chest and could maybe be sexy if it weren't _Glenn's_ ) and a pair of tight, black jeans with holes at the knees (far too short for Dimitri, and also, _what the fuck, Gēge_ ).

"Your family is friendly," says Dimitri. "I appreciate the invitation."

"Don't talk about my family while I'm undressing you," mutters Felix. Dimitri exhales when freed of the red dress shirt and grins wolfishly, and Felix needs desperately to shake out his hair. Dimitri has a similar idea; while Felix's back is turned to stick the shirt safely in his closet, Dimitri removes Felix's hair tie, grabs him by the waist, and swings him into a long awaited kiss.

Felix doesn't whimper.

It's mostly breathing and touch after that. Dimitri carrying him up the steps to his childhood bed, dumping him with little ceremony, climbing up to block the old ceiling with a more delightful sight. It's too small, his entire room is too small to encompass Dimitri, and as Felix struggles to mess his dumb gelled hair and pull him closer, as Dimitri dips to bring his lips to the hollow of Felix's neck and shoulder—

The door slams into their barricade.

"Māomī!" Grandmother, loud and drunk and speaking Chinese. "You _must_ try cupping with your aunt. Just half an hour and I feel so young and fresh." Then in English: "Good for your attitude."

The bed shakes with Dimitri's muffled laughter. Felix's face is warm in not-as-fun a way. 

He calls, "Yes, Nǎinai."

"Good. Good, good. And remember not to drink all that cold water. You and your brother work such strange hours, it's bad for your health. Showering before bed! How did my son raise you."

"Yes, Nǎinai. Good question, Nǎinai."

Another bang as she tries for the door again. "Why is your door stuck? Did that white boy leave?"

"No, he—"

"Maomi is teaching me," Dimitri contributes in Chinese, with an accent that is about as good as Felix's. Still where Felix's disappoints, Dimitri's is delightful; Grandmother giggles, thumps one last time on the door, and leaves.

"Who taught you that," Felix mumbles.

"Ingrid," says Dimitri. "When you fell asleep. Did you know you hissed just now?"

He sucks breath through his teeth. "Didn't."

"As you say," says Dimitri, and returns to work. Warmth turns to heat; the beast bares his teeth and nips at his skin with no sequence, coaxing hisses and moans and everything else which pleases him. Strongest hands find whatever purchase they can in Felix's clothing and first tease with the gentleness of a curious animal and then pull with the ferocity of a hungry one, and Felix curses, and must hiss again because Dimitri laughs, Dimitri has him pinned and quaking with one knee and his other arm—

"Can you just—"

"Ssh," he says, with a sloppy kiss on the mouth. "Impatient Kitty."

He feels himself go scarlet. It's a wonder he has any blood to divert. There's none for his lungs, anyway; unable to speak his _Shut up_ , he turns his face away. 

Dimitri takes him by the chin to fix that.

Then someone else shoves Felix's door into the bookcase, knocking a fencing trophy from the top shelf and then apologizing to it. Dimitri's expression cycles between irritation and bemusement at the interruption, which in itself is hot, but then he relaxes his grip and tilts his head towards the door with what can only be called a low growl.

"Fucking _what_ ," says Felix.

The intruder is his cousin. He's come to apologize for his earlier behavior. Felix is so uninterested in his bumbling and the tribulations of fatherhood that he does not bother to internalize the specifics of it.

" _Is that all_ ," he snaps.

It is not. His cousin threatens to apologize for a decade of Fraldarius anger until Felix snaps, "You're _forgiven_. I'm busy so let's talk about this never."

"Such bite. You were right to block the door." Dimitri's frustrated; he likes to lose himself to Felix, and snapping back between the beast and polite prince charming so quickly will sour his mood. Felix says nothing, only pulls him down and wraps around him with determination.

They are interrupted three more times. Once it's his mother, calling them down for more food and alcohol before Rodrigue and Glenn inhale it all, and is Dimitri staying the night? Second is his father, who has unearthed a photo album from his years at Garreg Mach and would love to share them with Dimitri, both his late father and stepmother are present! Third is his aunt and her cupping set, who repeats with drunk honesty her opinion that the procedure and a good three weeks in China will be good for Felix's demeanor.

Dimitri looks at Felix dully and dispassionate. "All that good work gone to waste."

So Felix takes the lead. "We. Are. _Not._ Stopping. Until we finish."

Glenn at least knocks. But they are so fucking close and Dimitri is so fucking pissed that he grips the bed's cradle hard enough for a deep, damning crack.

"I wasn't _serious_ ," Felix hisses, staring at wide blue eyes as Glenn shouts through the door that it's almost midnight and their father got sparklers and everyone's waiting or whatever the fuck. They only have a moment to scramble before it comes crashing down, except that the second Dimitri releases his hold is the end for Castle Fraldarius. 

Felix, naked and bruising in such interesting places, having landed in the dungeon: "Holy _fuck_!"

Dimitri, also naked but inhumanly strong and climbing to his rescue: "Felix! Are you okay?"

Glenn, presumably clothed, always fucking intolerable: " _Kitty_! Are you fucking Prince Charming in your castle right now?"

"Shut the fuck up! _No_!"

"Really? 'Cause it fucking sounds like he's laid siege!"

"Can you _fuck off_ you fucking _assweasel fucking shitbucket_!"

"Be safe. Finish before midnight! And don't barricade the door, it's a fucking fire hazard."

And he's gone. 

Once freed from debris Felix points at Dimitri. "This isn't fucking over." Pause. "What are you laughing at?"

"It was clever," says Dimitri. " _'Laid_ siege.'" Then he hauls himself up, pulls on Glenn's clothes, and by himself returns the bookshelf to its original position. 

"Whatever," says Felix, and tugs his own new clothes on so violently that he tears the neckline. This makes it functionally useless, given that hickeys were one of their few areas of success. 

Fuck it. This might as well happen today. Felix throws on a random scarf and decides they'll look like clowns together.

Feel like them, too. Because when they step outside not only his grandmother, not only his aunt, but also his _mother_ approach Dimitri's pants, click their tongue, and pull them down to his ankles. Each of them also then attempts to fix the sweatshirt, taut on his muscles, to cover Dimitri's now exposed hips. 

Felix doesn't even have the energy to find it sexy. Especially when Dimitri tugs it carefully back into place as soon as they leave.

Fucking circus.

Glenn's prepped the bonfire. A minute to midnight Rodrigue passes the sparklers, a family tradition of his own making. Personal fireworks are new to Dimitri, so he holds the metal stick at arms length as if expecting it to explode unprompted. 

"They don't burn you," says Felix, who's holding two. "They're for children."

"All the same…"

Felix tips his into the bonfire. The first catches light, then the second, and they both burn into stars. Dimitri backs up but seeing Felix's confidence shoves the sparkler forward, and Felix ignites it with his own.

Rodrigue and Glenn are sparkfighting. His mother and aunt and sister-in-law are racing to draw 鼠 in light. Dimitri stares at his in such awe that he might cry. 

Felix says, "Happy new year."

"Happy new year," Dimitri agrees, and shakes his sparkler in a makeshift toast. "To many more."

The best part of New Year unfolds when they run out of sparklers, when the adults produce their red pockets.

" _This_ is why I'm not married," Glenn explains to Dimitri, and dutifully accepts the treasure from their grandmother. "Nǎinai xīnnián kuàilè." Then Rodrigue, then their uncle, Glenn makes the rounds and makes bank. 

"You're too fucking old for this," says Felix, rolling his eyes, but follows his lead. "Xinnian kuaile."

Glenn nudges Dimitri. "Your turn. Cashmoney."

"What?" 

A full push. "Just repeat what I said."

"Ah…" Dimitri inches forward. Their grandmother watches expectantly, warm and still so endeared. And Dimitri tries, "Nainai… sin… nyen… quay luh?”

"Not the first part!"

She laughs. Cupped and drunk and delighted their grandmother laughs and presents Dimitri with his first red pocket, and he looks so _lost_ and moved. "Thank you," he says, a giant husk of a man ducking to their little grandmother before being led first to Rodrigue and a hug and then to their uncle. Dazed he returns to Felix's side, where Felix has ripped his pockets open and is already counting the goods.

"How much?" Felix asks.

"Um," says Dimitri, but they're interrupted by Glenn before he can ask if it's rude to open gifts in front of the givers or whatever.

"One from me too, Mitya."

It's too thick to be holding money, unless Glenn decided to break the bank for his little brother's rich white boyfriend. "I thought…" He looks helplessly at Felix, unsure how to receive so many gifts.

Felix snatches it, rips it open, and is greeted by a pack of condoms.

He's serenity. It's a new year and murdering his brother can wait a day. 

He sticks them in Dimitri's back pocket.

Glenn gives him a thumbs up. "Don't say I never covered for you."

" _I will cover your corpse_."

* * *

Later, on the floor, rid of Glenn's stupid clothes and one silver coin richer, Dimitri plays with Felix's hair and murmurs, "Maomi."

"Don't…"

He pauses. "Do you not like your nickname?"

"Not that," Felix mutters. "It's fine. Just… weird. From you."

"From me?"

"It's a dumb childhood nickname. Everyone calls me that. You're… not. Everyone." You're every _thing_.

Dimitri rolls onto his back, considers. "I see. May I call you something else, then?"

Felix snorts a noise of assent. 

Dimitri kisses his hair. Says, "Beloved." 

Felix buries his face in his chest, mumbles several curses, and nods.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!!  
> if you liked this fic please [rt](https://twitter.com/lumenize/status/1221291997148958720) or leave a comment below <3


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